DURANT, Okla. — Middle blocker Philomina Klotz put together an efficient attacking performance Friday night, leading the Harding volleyball team to a 3-1 victory (25-27, 26-24, 25-23, 25-17) over Southeastern Oklahoma Great American Conference action at Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
With the win, Harding improved to 18-4 overall and 8-3 in GAC play. Southeastern Oklahoma fell to 9-13 overall and 4-7 in conference competition.
Klotz hit .448 on the evening, putting down 15 kills with just two errors on 29 total attacks while adding five blocks. Outside hitter Melaina Haines paced the Lady Bisons' attack with a team-high 17 kills. Setter Olivia Wiedower orchestrated the offense with 52 assists and contributed seven digs alongside two service aces and two blocks.
Middle blocker Lauren Demuth posted nine kills and four blocks (one solo, three assists), while outside hitter Addie Worley added six kills and 12 digs. Libero Mallory Weyand anchored the back row with a team-leading 21 digs.
Southeastern Oklahoma captured a tightly contested opening set, 27-25, surviving 10 tie scores and four lead changes. A kill from Gabby Jones and a block by Jasmin Dion sealed the set for the Savage Storm.
Harding responded in set two, battling back from a late deficit to lock the score at 24-24 following a Klotz kill. A Savage Storm attack error capped off a 26-24 set win to even the match.
The third set remained closely fought, featuring eight tie scores. Tied 21-21, a Worley kill and an ace by Wiedower sparked a late push. Wiedower eventually put away a kill off a Weyand set to claim the frame 25-23.
The Lady Bisons took control early in the fourth set, opening up an 11-5 advantage following back-to-back kills from Worley and Klotz. Harding hit .233 as a team in the final frame and held Southeastern Oklahoma to a .000 hitting percentage, securing the set 25-17 and closing out the 3-1 match victory.
Southeastern Oklahoma was led by Jones with 13 kills and Rylee Jackson with 11 kills. Dion dished out 40 assists for the Savage Storm.
Harding will be back in action Thursday when it hosts Arkansas-Monticello at 6 p.m., at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
